Mrs. Meir Warns Arab States That They Bear Full Responsibility for the Lydda Airport Massacre

Premier Golda Meir today warned the Arab states, now gloating over the Lydda Airport massacre, that they would have to bear full responsibility for it. She said that the deed would not deter Israel. Delivering a special statement to a full Knesset which replaced all other parliamentary business this afternoon, Mrs. Meir promised that Israel would find a way to foil the new Arab terror menace, as it had foiled similar threats in the past.

She urged all government and international airlines to cooperate in instituting thorough security checks of planes and passengers. Proper probes would have prevented the Sabena hijack of three weeks ago as well, she added, It was high time, Mrs. Meir said, that the world took note of her criticism expressed two years ago after the Swissair tragedy. At that time she said that the Arab capitals harboring terror gangs were still ports of call for international airlines.

Mrs. Meir named Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, as a center of terrorist headquarters. She stressed, however, that she did not consider the three Japanese terrorists as representatives of their nation, and said that Israel’s friendly ties with Japan would not be affected.

Several Christian representatives here expressed their sorrow and condolence to Foreign Minister Abba Eban, The Deputy Apostolic representative in Jerusalem, Msgr. Zambi, was asked by Israeli officials to request the Vatican to condemn the crime, Arthur Lurie, Eban’s counsellor, emphasized in a talk to the apostolic delegation that most of the victims were Christian pilgrims. Talks on the same topic were held with Latin Patriarch Geokomo Beltritti, who agreed to come to the Foreign Ministry office for the first time since the Six-Day War, and with the head of the Lutheran church, the Reverend Helmut Glatte.